FIRST LEGO League is getting an AI overhaul starting with the 2026 season, plus changes to age divisions and editions.
Current age brackets and SPIKE-based technology are on their way out at FIRST LEGO League, making room for new AI-powered tech and a new structure to the program.
Amidst the AI craze, FIRST LEGO League is adopting a new format for its platform, one that is driven by artificial intelligence. But where injecting AI into a refrigerator is a bit silly, adding it to FIRST LEGO League makes sense. For almost three decades, FIRST LEGO League has helped teach millions of children in over a hundred countries about STEM through hands-on robotics and LEGO bricks. And with the future of robotics looking more and more intertwined with new AI technologies, merging the two makes sense.
It all coincides with the launch of LEGO SMART Play, tech based elements that are part of a new Star Wars range. There is no link between the new products though, as SMART Bricks do not currently use AI in any way, shape or form.
This will be driven by LEGO Education Computer Science & AI kits, which include teacher support materials, bricks, hardware and code, making integration into the classroom simple for instructors. And it will reshape the landscape of FIRST LEGO League rather significantly.
For the first time in its history, FIRST LEGO League will implement wireless hardware — sensors, motors and wireless controllers — to allow for more flexibility, accessibility and variability. Game models will also have embedded hardware to make them interactive and add a new layer of strategy. Semi-cooperative matches are now also possible thanks to a Shared Game Field, which will allow teams to compete side-by-side while rewarding coordination and collaboration.
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One of the biggest changes to the format of the games is the introduction of four unique player roles. Drivers will take charge of the controller and navigate around the field; operators will design and use a mechanical tool to handle game elements in their area; technicians will design and use coded robotic tools to handle game elements in their area; and specialists will control the team’s device and one or more robotic game elements on the field.
Beyond the AI-powered restructuring of the game itself, there will be restructuring for the age brackets and editions of the game.
In the US and Canada, there will be two age brackets: 5-7 years old (US grades K-2) and 8-14 years old (US grades 3-8). Internationally, the age brackets will be 5-7 years and 8-16 years. International competitions go up to 16 to account for education systems and standards of FIRST LEGO League Challenge.
Notably, the 2025-2026 UNEARTHED season is the final year that the Discover division will be offered for children aged 4 – 6, which is based around LEGO DUPLO. Students will now have to wait until the age of 5 to join FIRST LEGO League and the new AI playing field.
And that is a smaller part of a larger shift in how FIRST LEGO League is structured, at least for the next few seasons. From 2026 to 2028, FIRST LEGO League will run parallel editions of the program.
Founders Edition is the SPIKE-based, original version of the program. This will continue for the time being but will be phased out after the 2027 – 2028 season.
Future Edition is what’s based on the LEGO Education Computer Science & AI hardware, and its first season will be 2026 – 2027. This experience is not compatible with any of the older SPIKE-based technology. The delay in phasing out Founders Edition is to allow everyone a chance to transition to the new tech.
Following the 2027 – 2028 season, FIRST LEGO League will do away with the current division names — Discover, Explore and Challenge — switching to a unified structure based on age and skill. The “edition” naming system will also be phased out following the last Founders Edition season in favour of a more cohesive program.
More details are expected in the coming weeks — keep an eye to Blocks for all of the latest info.
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